How to embroider a sweatshirt or hoodie | Embroidery Machine Guide

To embroider a sweatshirt or hoodie, back the design with medium-weight cut-away stabilizer, float a water-soluble topping over fleece or fuzzy knit, and hoop only the front layer without stretching it. Keep the hood, pocket and back of the garment clear of the needle, and place the design away from thick seams. If the garment will not close in a standard hoop, use a magnetic hoop or float it on hooped stabilizer.

Sweatshirts are usually easier to embroider than thin t-shirts, because the thicker, more stable fabric can carry a denser design. A hoodie is the same job with a few extra obstacles. Back the design with cut-away stabilizer, put a water-soluble topping on top if the surface is fleecy, hoop one layer of fabric without stretching it, and keep everything else on the garment out of the needle’s way.

Brother and Embroidery Library are named below because their instructions are useful examples. This site is not affiliated with either.

What you need

Item	What to use	Why
Backing	Medium-weight cut-away (about 2.5 oz per square yard), or no-show mesh for light colors	Holds the stitches on stretchy knit
Topping	Thin water-soluble film	Stops stitches sinking into fleece
Adhesive	Temporary spray adhesive	Sticks the backing inside the garment
Needle	New 75/11 embroidery needle	Embroidery Library and one sewing educator both give this size for sweatshirts
Top thread	40 wt polyester embroidery thread	A common all-round choice
Marking	Air-erase or water-soluble pen, or chalk; printed template	Finds the center and the axis lines
Clips	Binder clips, clothespins or painter’s tape	Keep the rest of the garment out of the way

Which embroidery machine suits sweatshirts and other clothes

Any machine can embroider a finished garment if you can isolate the area under the needle. Two things matter most: the size of the field and whether the machine has a free arm.

Most left-chest logos are about 3 to 4 in (75-100 mm) wide. A 4 × 4 in (100 × 100 mm) hoop handles one under about 3.9 in (99 mm) wide, and a 5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm) field covers the rest. A design across the chest is larger, often 5 to 10 in (127-254 mm) wide, so plan on a 6 × 10 in (160 × 260 mm) field or more. One embroidery educator suggests at least a 5 × 7 in (130 × 180 mm) hoop for shirts, so you rehoop less.

On a flatbed machine you pull the back of the garment out from under the hoop. That is easy on an adult sweatshirt and hard on small or tube-shaped pieces such as cuffs, sleeves and pockets. A free arm makes those easier. The Brother PRS100 is a single-needle machine with a free arm and an 8 × 8 in (200 × 200 mm) field, and the Brother NQ1700E has a 6 × 10 in (160 × 260 mm) field for bigger chest designs. For more options, see our page on embroidery machines for t-shirts and sweatshirts.

Check your machine’s fabric limit before you start. Brother’s PE800 operation manual says to use fabric thinner than 3 mm (about 1/8 in), because thicker fabric may break the needle.

Prepare the garment

Prewash. Wash and dry a cotton or cotton-blend sweatshirt first so it shrinks before you stitch. If it shrinks after embroidery, you may see puckering around the design.
Pick the placement. One guide puts a left-chest design 7 to 9 in (180-230 mm) below the shoulder seam and 3 to 5 in (75-125 mm) from center. For a centered design, Embroidery Library says the traditional spot is the top of the design about 3 in (75 mm) below the neck. For a child’s sweatshirt it suggests sitting closer to the neck, and its example uses 2½ in (65 mm). Our left-chest design size page has typical sizes.
Mark the center. Draw the center point and the horizontal and vertical lines with an air-erase or water-soluble pen or chalk, or position a printed template and mark through it.

Choose the stabilizer

Cut-away is the usual answer for sweatshirts. Sewing educators recommend it for stretchy or unstable knit, and it is a permanent backing that resists stretching and stays in the garment. A no-show mesh version is softer and shows less through light colors, but it gives less support, so keep to the medium-weight cut-away for a dense, high-stitch-count design.

Tear-away is the wrong choice for most sweatshirts. It is meant for stable, non-stretch woven fabric, and most types can break down after repeated washing. Our stabilizer guide compares all the types.

Cut the backing at least 1 in (25 mm) larger than the hoop on every side. Spray the stabilizer lightly with temporary adhesive, not the sweatshirt, so no adhesive gets on the garment.

Add a topping on fleece and fuzzy knit

Fleece and brushed sweatshirt fabric have a raised surface. Stitches can sink into it, and small letters disappear first. A thin water-soluble topping laid on the surface holds the stitches up. Embroidery Library’s fleece hat project pairs medium-weight cut-away underneath with a lightweight water-soluble topping on top to keep stitches from sinking, and a sewing educator’s sweatshirt guide uses the same pairing.

Float the topping over the hooped area after hooping. (Embroidery Library instead hoops the topping together with the fabric and backing on its fleece project.) When the design is done, tear off the bulk and dab any leftover scraps with a little water.

Hoop a thick sweatshirt step by step

Choose the smallest hoop that fits the design. It uses less stabilizer and makes centering easier.
Stick the backing inside. Turn the sweatshirt inside out, press the sprayed stabilizer over the stitch area, then turn it right side out.
Slide the outer hoop inside the garment. Only the front layer goes between the rings. Pull the back layer, the hood and the sleeves away from the hoop.
Press in the inner ring. Line up the center marks. The fabric should be taut but not stretched, with no ripples. Do not tug the fabric to remove slack. Rehoop instead, because pulling distorts the knit and the design.
Float the topping over the design area if the surface is fleecy.
Clip away the bulk. Roll the excess fabric and hold it with clips or painter’s tape. Brother’s manual warns that heavy garments must not hang off the table, because the embroidery unit cannot move freely and the frame may strike the needle.
Trace the design and slow down. Trace the outline so the needle clears the frame. Brother’s manual also advises a lower speed on thick or heavy fabric. Slide a hand under the hoop to make sure the back layer is free.

If the garment is too thick or awkward to hoop, float it. Hoop only the stabilizer, spray it lightly, smooth the sweatshirt on top and pin or baste it. One sewing educator finds floating never as good as hooping, because the fabric moves around more, so use it when you must. For medium or heavy designs, Embroidery Library’s jacket guide suggests hand-sewing the garment to the hooped stabilizer with a long basting stitch in a square around the hoop’s inner edge.

Magnetic hoops for bulky sweatshirts

A magnetic hoop clamps the fabric flat without squeezing it into rings. One sewing educator recommends magnetic hoops for bulky sweatshirts that will not fit in a standard plastic hoop, and notes that they can reduce hoop burn. Brother sells a magnetic frame (SAMF180N) for 4 × 7 in (100 × 180 mm) on several single-needle models, including the PE800, PE900, SE1900 and SE2000, and rates it for materials up to 2 mm (about 0.08 in).

They have drawbacks. Some magnetic hoops grip less tightly than others, which can let the fabric shift on dense designs, they cost more than standard hoops, and the magnets can pinch fingers. Read our magnetic hoops guide for compatibility and safety. If a standard hoop leaves a ring mark, a damp cloth, sizing spray, pressing or laundering usually removes it.

Hoodie pockets, hoods and seams

A hoodie adds trouble that a plain sweatshirt does not.

Front pocket. On a pullover, the pocket is sewn onto the front. A design that runs across it stitches through the pocket, its seams and the front, which stacks layers toward your machine’s thickness limit. Place the design above the pocket seam, or move it to the chest, sleeve or back. Embroidery Library advises keeping a design away from thick seams.
Hood and drawstrings. Hoop first, then roll the hood and any cords away from the stitch area and clip them out of the way, so they cannot get stitched into the design.
Zip hoodies. One sewing educator says a zipper makes the garment much easier to prepare than a plain pullover. Keep the zipper tape and teeth out of the stitch field.
Hems, cuffs and ribbing. There may not be enough fabric to hoop near an edge. Hoop the stabilizer and float the garment onto it instead.
Small pieces. A pocket, sleeve or cuff may need a free arm or a small hoop.

Needle and thread

Embroidery Library calls for a size 75/11 sewing or embroidery needle on a sweatshirt, and one sewing educator uses a 75/11 embroidery needle with 40 wt polyester thread. Start with a fresh needle. If it breaks or thread keeps shredding, see our guide to embroidery needles.

Finish the job

Tear away the topping and dab off any leftover scraps with a little water.
Turn the sweatshirt inside out and trim the cut-away close to the design. Educators vary between about 1/4 and 1/2 in (6-13 mm), and trimming too close can make the edges pucker.
Remove any marker lines the way the pen directs. The cut-away softens after a wash or two.
For a child or sensitive skin, a soft iron-on cover over the back of a dense design can stop it feeling scratchy.

If puckering or ripples still show up, read our guide to embroidery puckering.

Common mistakes

Stretching the sweatshirt while hooping it.
Using tear-away on a stretchy knit.
Skipping the topping on fleece.
Spraying adhesive on the garment instead of the stabilizer.
Letting the weight of the sweatshirt hang off the table.
Stitching through the pocket or hood without checking the layers.
Skipping the prewash.

Frequently asked questions

Can I embroider a hoodie on a home embroidery machine?

Yes, as long as you can hoop the front panel on its own and keep the hood, pocket and back layer out of the stitch area. Check your manual's fabric limit first: Brother's PE800 manual says fabric thicker than 3 mm (about 1/8 in) may break the needle.

What stabilizer should I use on a sweatshirt?

Medium-weight cut-away, or a no-show mesh cut-away for light colors. It stays in the garment and keeps stitches from distorting on stretchy knit. No-show mesh gives less support, so choose the medium-weight cut-away for a dense design.

Do I need topping on fleece?

Usually yes. A thin water-soluble topping on the surface stops stitches from sinking into the pile, and you tear it off afterward. It does not replace the cut-away underneath, which you still need.

What size hoop do I need for a sweatshirt?

Use the smallest hoop that fits the design. A left-chest logo of about 3 to 4 in (75-100 mm) fits a 4 × 4 in hoop if it stays under about 3.9 in (99 mm) wide, and a 5 × 7 in hoop if it is wider. A design across the chest needs a larger field.

How do I stop a sweatshirt from puckering when I embroider it?

Do not stretch the fabric as you hoop it, use cut-away backing, prewash cotton sweatshirts so they do not shrink later, and keep the rest of the garment from dragging on the hoop.